No damage to bridge. No injuries. The only damage was to the ships mast.

Image From William S

Tom Sakmar witnessed the incident and writes:

A large bi-hull sailboat was de-masted today (September 26, 2014) at about 2:47 p.m. when it hit the Roosevelt Island Bridge. The boat was in the East Channel of the East River heading South propelled by a rapid tidal current. The West Channel of the river was closed to most boat traffic due to United Nations Week security.

The metal mast and all the rigging and struts came came crashing down to the deck within seconds as the two adults on the deck, a man and woman, scrambled to stay clear. Neither of them appeared to be injured, but the boat started to drift toward the rocks on Roosevelt Island as the captain tried to start an outboard auxiliary motor.

A large cabin cruiser with a flying bridge was motoring Northbound and made way toward the de-masted sailboat. Eventually the cruiser spun around and appeared to come abeam of the sailboat to lend assistance.

Despite the large number of police and U.S. Coastguard vessels in the West Channel of the East River, the de-masted sail boat and cruiser proceeded under the Queensboro Bridge at about 3:00 p.m. without any assistance from the authorities.

It is really miraculous that the two people on deck were not killed or serious injured in this unfortunate accident.

Since 9/11, the West Channel of the East River has generally been closed to most boat traffic during high level security periods such as United Nations Week. Traffic is therefore rerouted to the East Channel very close to the Big Allis (Ravenswood No. 3) electric power generator, which is a huge natural gas power plant with huge kerosene fuel oil backup tanks very near to the edge of the river. Obviously there is some security trade-off here, but it’s not clear that it makes a lot of sense to the casual observer.

Throughout the summer, RIOC has been working hard to make capital improvements and to ensure the safety and beauty of our community. As the weather turns colder towards the end of fall, many construction projects will be required to be put on hold until the spring. With this in mind, we are continuing to make preparations for the upcoming season and to get our neighborhood ready for cold weather and snow. Until then, we will enjoy the fall weather and proceed as planned with construction and other projects.

Fall for Arts Festival

The annual Roosevelt Island Fall for Arts Festival will take place on Saturday, October 11th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Southpoint Park and on the lawn south of Rivercross. This year's theme is "A Multicultural Renaissance," celebrating the diversity of our unique community in a medieval setting. With participation from various community groups, multicultural musical and theatrical performances, live mural painting and "make-and-take" art activities for children, this event is a long-time community favorite. Look for a schedule of events to be posted soon on our website (rioc.ny.gov), facebook page (facebook.com/RIOCny ), the Main Street kiosks and other locations island-wide with more information about the event. We hope to see you at the Festival!

RIOC is currently seeking volunteers and mural artists to participate in this community event. The deadline for submitting a sketch to be considered for a muralist spot at the Festival has been extended through the weekend - all sketches received by Monday, September 29 will be considered. If you're interested in submitting a mural design or in volunteering at the Festival by helping attendees complete art activities or distributing art supplies to mural painters, please contact Anna Rankin at Anna.Rankin@rioc.ny.gov. Community service hours can be given for volunteering, and participants will receive a free, exclusive festival t-shirt. For more information on painting or volunteering, visit our website at rioc.ny.gov and click on our slideshow.

Security Cameras at the Motorgate Garage

As previously reported, RIOC has installed a series of security cameras at various locations on Roosevelt Island, including inside the Motorgate Garage. Currently, the installation and setup of these cameras is in the second phase of implementation. Before the next phase can begin, minor adjustments to the placement, orientation and other properties of the cameras will take place. The Public Safety Department has also been consulted on prime locations for future cameras and other upgrades. Since their initial installation, these cameras have already proved a valuable asset to the community and have assisted law enforcement with several investigations and lead to the apprehension of criminals. We plan to improve this system on a constant basis and look forward to the next phase of installation.

Parking Meters Accepting Credit Cards

We are pleased to announce that all parking meters on Roosevelt Island will soon be able to accept credit cards as payment. This improvement will increase convenience for residents and visitors alike who park on our streets. Electronic parking meters were installed earlier this year and are available along the length of Main Street and in the public parking lot to the east of the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club near the Tramway plaza. We are happy to be able to provide this service as an upgrade to the current system.

Tree Removal at the Octagon Playground

Last Thursday, September 24, contractors removed several damaged trees and branches at the Octagon Park. Affected trees, which had been damaged by stormy weather, were identified by a qualified professional before they were scheduled for removal or pruning. Routine maintenance and trimming is required for the general upkeep of the Island's trees and to avoid potential hazards caused by hanging and fallen limbs.

Good Shepherd Streetscape Renewal Project

As you may have noticed, landscaping work has begun behind the Good Shepherd Community Center. This project marks the first phase of work in a larger development - the renewal and redesign of the Good Shepherd Plaza. This project began several years ago as a joint initiative between RIOC and many active members of the Roosevelt Island community, who provided valuable input on residents' needs and visions for the space. Once the community design process was completed, RIOC solicited bids from qualified contractors and selected the best vendor based on standard procurement procedures. The chosen contractor will perform upgrades to the lawn and areas in and around the Plaza according to the finalized design. Currently, workers are laying out the areas where new decomposed granite paths and planting beds will be installed behind the Community Center. Most recently, concerns were raised about the health of the 9/11 memorial tree located in the area after a surface root was pruned to make way for construction. This root pruning has not endangered the tree. RIOC takes pride in the care of the Island's grounds and flora, and as New Yorkers ourselves, we understand how much this memorial means to all of our residents. Contractors are taking every precaution to ensure the continued health and future growth of the memorial tree as they modify the areas around it.

Everyone just knew that when the Baltimore Orioles tied the game against the Yankees in the top of the ninth and that Derek Jeter was batting third in the bottom of the inning that he would find a way to win the game.

And Jeter did just that.

Simply amazing!!!!

During the post game press conference Derek Jeter said:

...I know there’s a lot of people that have much more talent than I do throughout the course of my career, not just now and I can honestly say I don’t think anyone played harder. I don’t. Maybe just as hard, but I don’t think anyone had more of an effort.

Every single day I went out there and tried to have respect for the game and play it as hard as I possibly could. And I did it here in New York, which I think is much more difficult to do. And I’m happy for that...

That's the reason, besides the statistics and memorable plays (flip to Posada game, diving into stands against Red Sox, Jeffrey Maier home run, Mr. November, 5 for 5 3,000 hit game), Derek Jeter is a great ballplayer and is so respected.

For those celebrating the Rosh Hashanah New Year with traditional Jewish food of Gefilte Fish, Kugel, Chopped Liver, Matzo Ball Soup, Rugelach and Manischewitz Wine, this very funny Buzz Feed Video is for you. For those who have never tasted these traditional Jewish foods, Try It, You'll Like It.

Meet at the Bike New York container (next to Gristedes) at 6:15pm for a 3-mile loop around Roosevelt Island. Free Bike New York t-shirts for all participants! Bikes and helmets will be provided.

Picnic in the Park

Saturday, October 4 at 11:30am

Join us for a short ride over to Astoria Park for a picnic to celebrate the end of the summer season! Please pack your own lunch. Dessert will be provided! All participants will receive a free Bike New York t-shirt. To register, please contact cgoodspeed@bikenewyork.org.

Learn to Ride - Adults class for Roosevelt Island Residents Only

Sunday, October 5 from 10am - 12pm

It's never too late to learn how to ride a bike! Join us at Capobianco basketball court (across the street from PS 217) for this beginner's class. Click here to register. Bikes and helmets will be provided.

Fall for Arts Festival

Saturday, October 11 from 11am - 4pm

We're excited to participate in this year's festival! Stop by the Bike New York table and decorate your bicycle! You will also be able to pick up more information about our programs and events. We look forward to meeting you!

The Pop-Up Bike Shop will run through the end of October. The last day will be on Saturday, October 25 from 10am - 2pm. The shop will be closed on Saturday, October 11 for Columbus Day Weekend.

Imagine you have around $1,300,000 to spend on a place and you've narrowed it down to two apartments. How do you make up your mind? The answer is simple: you shove them into a metaphorical cage and let them battle it out until one emerges victorious. It's time for Real Estate Deathmatch....

The Roosevelt Island apartment comparison is between the $1.3 million asking Riverwalk Court Condo (Curbed Tweet picture on left)

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is one of Judaism’s holiest days. Meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” the festival begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which falls during September or October. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion...

... We are also working with groups like RIWHO and will be doing a training next Wednesday along with a talk about how to recognize when you are having a heart attack and stroke.

We are offering to work with any island group who would like us to do the training. It is not a certification. You do not receive a certificate. You simply learn what to do if a loved ones heart stops working.

To date we have trained 222 people who live or work on Roosevelt Island. We would love to train anyone who is bilingual to be facilitators in their native languages. Anyone interested can contact me....

... award-winning author of six books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including four New York Times bestsellers, The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential.

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Roosevelt Island Community Calendar Of Events

WELCOME TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND

Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.